National Basketball Association

Pelicans' Rivers, Thunder's Collison ejected for 'fighting fouls'

Published Apr. 14, 2014 9:58 p.m. ET

foxsports

Monday night's entertaining matchup between the playoff-bound Oklahoma City Thunder and the struggling New Orleans Pelicans provided more fireworks than anyone would have predicted.

The show was highlighted by a chippy encounter between the Thunder's big man Nick Collison and the Pelicans point guard Austin Rivers that started with a few shoves and ended with ejections after players from both benches rallied to the cause.

The officials called "fighting fouls" on both players and ejected them from the game after the first half skirmish, despite objections from New Orleans' head coach Monty Williams, who argued Collison hit Rivers in the back of the head without warning.